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(No Model.)

2 Sheets--Sheet 1 I. H. HEGNER. ELECTRIC ARC LAMP.

hi Patented June 15,1897.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2. I. H. HEGNER. ELECTRIC ARC LAMP.

Patew ne 15,1897.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IGNAOE HIPPOLYTE IIEGNER, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

ELECTRIC-ARC LAM P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 584,356, dated June 15,1897.

Application filed February 4,1896. Serial No. 578,028. (No model.)Patented in France June 1'7, 1895,1I0. 248,199.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IGNAOE IIIPPOLYTE IIEGNER, a citizen of the Republicof France, residing at Paris, in the Republic of France, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Electric-Arc Lamps, (for which Ihave obtained a patent in France, No. 248,199, bearing date June 17,1895;) and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andeXact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has for its object to group together two or morearc-lamps in series or parallel and to regulate the feed according tothe total rcsistan cc of the group as well as to the resistance of eachindividual lamp. This arrangement facilitates the use of arclamps inparallel or multiple are distribution, and in this case two or morearc-lamps are arranged in series across the mains, and means areprovided for preventing the feeding together of the carbons of any lampuntil the total resistance of the group attains the required amount,when each lamp is free to be fed by mechanism controlled by the resistance of its own are. This arrangement also facilitates the use ofsmaller power arelamps in a series circuit, and in this case two or morearc-lamps are arranged in parallel in aseries circuit, and means areprovided for preventing the feeding of the carbons of any lamp until theresistance of the group attains the required motion, when each lamp isfree to be fed by mechanism controlled by the resistance of its own are.As applied to three lamps in series on a constant-current circuit of onehundred and ten volts, this system consists in placing a shunt-coilbetween the rheostat and the terminals of a group of three lamps. Thisshunt-coil fulfils the office of the coil of thin wire, serving as aregulator of potential in the arc-lamps heretofore used, with thisdifference, that instead of having in the interior of each apparatus acoil of this kind operating separately 011 its own account I employ onlya single coil for all three lamps, which under these circumstancesoperate as a single lamp as regards the difference of potential at theterminals of the group. Bythe application of this system I obtain thefollowing advantages:

First. M y shunt-coil, serving as a simple relay having no mechanicalwork to perform, can, through the intervention of its magnetic parts,possess such sensitiveness that it will operate under the action of theleast variations of current, and as the steadiness of the lightingdepends onlyon the regularityof the current which traverses the lamps,and consequently on the precision of their regulating apparatuscontrolling the approach of the carbons, I obtain by the use of the saidregulator under these conditions an ideally perfect state as regards themaintenance of the potential at the terminals of the lamps.

Second. In the interior of the lamps it is necessary to obtainsynchronouslythat is to say, at the moment when the regulating apparatusperforms its function as a regulator the greatest motive force possiblefor acting in an absolutelycertain manner upon the mechanieal movementcontrolling the approach of the carbons. This force is supplied byelectromagnets of comparatively small re sistance, suitably arranged inthe interior of the lamps, receiving the current sent by the regulatorof the potential and acting with very great energy upon the parts whichthey control.

Third. By the employment of a single regulator of the current for thethree lamps in the before-mentioned conditions I can. keep theelectromotive force constant at the terminals of the three lamps andconsequently never reach the one hundred and ten volts of electromotiveforce at disposal in the circuit. Accordingly I solve by this system theproblem of three lamps arranged in series in a circuit of one hundredand ten volts, which has heretofore not been realized with the systemsof lamps using ,only two line-wires each possessing separately theirshunt-coils or regulators of potential and each operating on its ownaccount.

In order that the description may be more easily understood, I willhereinafter refer to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is adiagram of three arc-lamps of my system arranged on three wires andregulated by means of a single regulating apparatus. Figs. 2 and 3 arefront and side elevations of the lamp proper. Fig. 4 is a horizontalsection of the samelamp, and Fig.

5 is an elevation of a modified construction of the same lamp.

Similar letters and numerals of reference represent corresponding partsin the several figures.

The lamp is composed of two mechanismsthat is to say, one for thedownward movement of the upper carbon, fixed at 1, and the other for thecorresponding backward movement of the lower carbon, fixed at 9. Thesetwo mechanisms comprise the following parts First. The mechanism for themovement of the upper carbon, comprising a rod 3, suitably guided andterminated by an arm forming a carbon-holder 1. This rod is supported bya cord 13, passing successively round the pulleys 1- a, 15, and 16 andfastened to the fixed point 17 after having supported, through themedium of the pulley 16, the rod 3 of the lower-carbon holder. Thepulley 4: forms part of a clockwork 5, which terminates in a flywheel 6,whose vanes may be stopped by the spring bolts or bars 7 8, actuated,respectively, by the electromagnets A and E.

Second. he movement of the lower carbon is communicated by similarparts. A red 3, likewise carrying a carbon-holder 2, moves by its weightand by means of the cord 13, passing round the pulley 15, the lever 18,turning about the axis 19, upon which are mounted on the one hand aratchet-wheel 20 and on the other hand a spiral spring 22, connected toa fixed point 23, and, lastly, a wheel 21, forming part of a clockwork r5, comprising a fly-whee 16', whose vanes may be stopped by the bolts orbars 9 10, actuated, respectively, by the electromagnets C and D. Thethree lamps thus constructedare grouped as represented in the diagram ofFig. 1 and comprise for each group a rheostat l2 and apotential-regulator B A, which are designed to effect the regulation ofthe system.

I will now proceed to set forth how the said system operates. lVhenexamining the state of the lamps at the moment when the carbons areplaced in their positions, it may be found that all the carbons are incontact or that one, two, or all the carbons are apart. In the firstcasethat is to say, all the carbons being in contactif the current ispassed through the lamps the apparatus B A does not move, from which itfollows that, the bolt 7 preventing the wheel 6 from turning, the uppercarbons remain fixed and the coils D liberate the hooks 10, because thewhole of the current passing through these bobbins in series with thecarbons the masses therein become saturated with magnetism and attracttheir iron armatures, at the end of which are fixed the catches 10, thusenabling the lower carbons to descend by reason of the displacement ofthe lever 18, which is drawn downward by the weight of the carbon-holder3", because the vane 0 is on the one hand disengaged by the catch 10 andbecause the catch 9 has not yet been at tracted by the bobbin C, whichmust only acquire sufficient force when the carbons are so separatedthat the electromotive force at their terminals reaches twentyfour voltsagain. At this moment these coils commence to operate and fix thecarbons through the medium of the hooks 9, butting upon the ilywheel 6,so that the carbons stop and the lighting takes place. The coils Cshouldonly have a secondary effect upon the regulation of the lamps. They mustonly serve to pre vent adhesions and too great lengths of the arc withregard to the normal state. The lamps thus lighted burn until theelectrometive force at the terminals of the coil 1) A have, for example,reached ninety volts. At this moment the poten tial-regulator B A closesthe circuit on the coils A and the upper carbons are released. If thethree arcs present at this moment the same maximum resistance, the coilsE will have drawn their armaturcs to the end of their movements and thepawls S will be in the position for enabling the carbons to descend; butif at this moment, by reason of the unequal combustion of the carbons,one pair of the latter is nearer together than the others thecorresponding pawl will prevent the descent of its carbon, since theelectromotive force at the terminals of this lamp having dropped belowthe normal the bobbin 0 not receiving the necessary 11 umber of voltswill consequently be weakened, and the catch 8, drawn by its opposingspring, will rest on the vane (J and arrest the carbons, so that theapproach takes place only in the case of carbons which need it.

If at the moment of lighting the carbons are apart, this is whathappens: The armature of B A remains in contact, since the carbons notbeing in contact the current cannot pass this way, the electromotiveforce will therefore be at its maximum at the terminals of the bobbin 13A, the bobbin B A will therefore possess its maximum magnetic strength.The circuit on the bobbins A is thus closed, the bobbins A are excited,and in attracting their armatures they bring and the pawl 7 moves to thereleased position. On the other hand the coil E acts upon the store 8 inorder to also release the same wheel (5. At this moment the upper carbondescends and the lower carbon moves upward, because they are connectedwith each other through the me dium of the cord 13-namely, until theyare in contact. On the carbons thus making contact the lamps arelighted, as previously. lVhen the lever 18 has arrived at the end of itsmovementthat is to say, in such a position that the lower carbon cannotmove back it is necessary to bring it back to its original position, andfor this purpose it is sul'licientto slightly raise the rod 3', inconsequence of which the spring as it expands moves the lever 18 to itshighest original position.

It will be understood that in the construc tion of my lamp I do notlimit myself strictly to the arrangements shown in the drawings. Thesearrangements, of the most rudimentary 7 kind, are shown only for thepurpose of rendering clearer and easier the explanation of my system,which always remains the same, despite changes of parts and theirposition, provided that the essential arrangement of the system ismaintained, which consists in the combined operation of a shuntelectromagnet and of an independent electromagnet fed by the generalregulator, completing each other reciprocally for the purpose ofallowing the carbons to approach one another only in the lamps whichrequire it and to separatethe carbons which may happen to be in contact.

One of the modifications in the construction is illustrated in Fig. 5,wherein the coil 0 is completely dispensed with and its action replacedby the combination of the coils A and D in differential balance.

The bolts 8 and 10 are mounted upon a lever 11, pivoted by its center ata. This bal ance appropriately equilibrated disengages the fly-Wheel 6,when the electromotive force at the terminals of the lamp is increasedto a certain maximum amount. In this case the intensity diminishing inthe coil D the coil E brings it to the latter, attracts the lever,releases the fly-wheel 6, and the carbons of the lamp can then descendunder the action of the coil A and of the potential-regulator B A,respectively. On the other hand,when the carbons have descended to acertain minimum distancethat is to say, when the electromotive forcediminishes and the intensity augments-the coil D brings it to the coilE, attracts the lever on its side, and the fly-wheel G is again fixed.If owing to an accident the carbons should adhere, the action of thecoil D continuing, the flywheel 6 would be released in its turn andwould permit the lower carbon to descend until equilibrium wasreestablished; The lighting takes place in the same manner. If thecarbons are apart at the moment of the closing of the circuit, the coilE disen gages the fiy-wheel by its proper action, the coil A releasingit under the action of the regulator B A. When once the carbons havecome in contact, the coil D at tracting the lever on one side engagesthe flywheel 6 on the other hand and the lower carbon moves back untilthe arc has reached its normal length.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with two or more arelamps, of a means for preventingthe feeding together of the carbons of any lamp until the resistance ofthe lamp group has attained the desired amount and of a means forfeeding the carbons of eachlamp controlled by the resistance of its ownare.

2. The combination with two or more arelamps, of brakes or stops actingon the feed mechanisms of the arc-lamps, of a means for taking off thesaid brakes or stops when the resistance of the lamp group has attainedthe desired amount, and of a means for feeding the carbons of each lampcontrolled by the resistance of its own are.

3. The combination with two or more arelamps, of brakes or stops actingon the feed mechanisms of the arc-lamps, of a relay or switch, a meansfor closing the relay or switch when the resistance of the lamp grouphas attained the desired amount, an electric device in each lamp incircuit with the relay, stopping the feed mechanism from acting when therelay is open and allowing the feed to take place when the relay isclosed.

+1. The combination with two or more arclamps, in which the carbons tendto feed together of a brake or stop mechanism acting on the feedmechanism, and controlled by the resistance of the arc, of a secondbrake or stop mechanism also acting on the feed mechanism and controlledaccording to the resistance of the lamp group, and of means for feedin gthe carbons of each lamp controlled by the resistance of its own are.

In testimony whereof I afiixmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

IG-NACE HIPPOLYTE IIEGNER.

\Vitnesses:

CLYDE SHRoPsnmE, DAVID T. S. FULLER.

